1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input apparatus and method. In particular, the present invention allows a user to simply operate home and office equipment by visual line input or gesture input.
2. Description of the Related Art
An input apparatus using the user's visual line, sound, or gesture allows the user to simply operate home electronic equipment. In near future, this kind of the input apparatus will be used in the home and office. In this kind of input apparatus, the input indication is a simple action of the user. For example, the user's visual line may control the scroll of the display of a computer (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.2-173696) or automatically move a cursor to a position which the user is watching on the display (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.2-178721).
The area observed by the user (or watching point) may control a device, some cameras use a user's watching point for control. In an apparatus for selecting operational features by visual line, a user watches a selected feature symbol in the view finder to turn the selected feature on and off (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.3-87818) a camera focuses on the point watched by the user. (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.3-107932) A camera may measure the exposure value at a point watched by the user (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.3-107933 and Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.3-107934).
An input apparatus may use the user's gestures. For example, a plurality of pressure sensors are attatched to a surface of a glove for the user's hand data is then inputted by pushing fingers of the glove against each other (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.1-314320). As another example, an acceleration sensor is placed on a glove. The cursor on a display is moved by the movement of the user's hand (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No.1-188925).
In the above input apparatus example, the control indication is a simple action. The input apparatus may undesirably react to the user's unconscious action however and operate the equipment without the user's intention. For example, in a visual line computer control, the cursor will move to an undesirable position if the user coughs or looks back in confusion because of another person's voice.
In input devices recognizing the actions of the user's hand and body, the input apparatus often erroneously operates the equipment according to the user's unconscious action. With a sensor glove, all of the conscious and unconscious movements of the user's hand impact the operation of the equipment. If the input apparatus uses an image, a TV camera may moniter the image of the user. Each movement of the user may impact the equipment. Therefore, the user must always be careful not to indicate unnecessary action. However, if the indication of the user's action is limited to unnatural specified action, the user can not indicate by simple action.
If many input devices are used in the same home or office, multiple input devices may detect one gesture of the user. Additionally, several people may be in the same room. Only some of the people may intend to operate equipment, but the input device may record lines of sight or gestures from non-operaters. In these situations, the equipment reacts contrary to the user's intention.
To descriminate the user's true intention, a voice discrimination circuit may be used or a decision means for evaluating indications of plural commands. However, high level-recognition such as voice discrimination is necessary for the input apparatus or the input apparatus can not react if the user does not perform plural gestures. As a result, this kind of input apparatus is not practical.